"this is a write up from a friend"
I live in Karachi.
It's a troubled city like many other mega metro cities on globe to say the least. 18 million people and rising.
I moved here after being fifteen years of being abroad. It's funny how life changes you and your perspectives after you have children. I chose to come back not out of patriotism, but because my immediate family was here as well as my wife's and I wanted to raise my kids closer to them.
I grew up here as well, and spent the first 16 years of my life in Karachi. But I wasn't an adult then, and I didn't know then what I know now. I was a carefree kid not concerned about what it means to live in Pakistan.
When I moved to Canada, I hated it there, but it helped mould me into who I am and I came to enjoy it a lot.
In any case, I'm back. Things are different and I'm a parent of two boys and been here for over two years.
Before I go further into explaining my answer further, I'll start off with this.
"You can slay the dragon, but it's the mosquitoes that will kill you."
And you'll understand what I mean by that in this context in a bit.
There are street fights, fierce road rage, there is sectarian violence, there is political unrest, there is killings, and muggings, and kidnappings, and there is all kinds of evil here.
Fortunately for me, I am from a family of means. That doesn't mean much in the First World where I'm just the average Joe with debts and mortgage payments and a struggling family of four, but in a Third World country like Pakistan where there is no visible middle class, it means a lot. It also means I can read and write, which is to say I'm educated, most people around here are not.
Knowing all this, people ask me, how can I justify moving back to a country which is in such a state of disarray. And when I answer, it was for my kids, they think I'm a madman. The truth is, if my family were in Australia, then I'd be raising them there, but they're not, they're in Karachi, so that's where I want to be. I'd like them to have the bond with my family as I have. And neither my wife and I regret our decision in any way.
The grass is always greener on the other side. I can say that now. Karachi is setup in a way that most of the upper middle class live in one area of the city, and the lower end of the demographic spectrum live in another part of the city. The Karachi you see in the news on television, isn't the Karachi I live in. For the most part, I don't have any dealings in those areas, nor do I ever commute through such areas.
But is that fair you ask? No it isn't. I won the lottery of being born in a certain position, and I'll make use of that. I have no qualms about admitting it being so. I have to be careful. Mostly everyone I know, my wife included, has been a victim of some form of mugging or kidnapping. It definitely isn't a safe city. And you constantly have to be wary of people following you home, or making sure the car windows are rolled up and the doors locked, not waiting too long at a red light at night if there's no traffic etc. These things become second nature to you. They don't bother you as much. You just learn to not read the news and ignore it. If you read too much into it, you couldn't live here. Your morals wouldn't allow you. As long as you stay away from the parts of the city where things aren't so happy, you're fairly safe and sheltered.
That's the dragon bit, now come the mosquitoes.
Most of the country is in a state of disarray. It's as if the country is on auto-mode. Politicians and politics and policies and policing and infrastructure and basic fundamentals of a city are non-existent. There is no power infrastructure in the city that can keep up with the demands of it's consumers, so the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation resorts to power 'load-shedding', or scheduled brownouts for anywhere between six to ten hours a day. So much so that it is common for almost every household in the city to either have a UPS installed along with a small power generator for at least a fan and two three lights to remain operational. Water supply is minimal, and if it comes through, its dirty, undrinkable, and untreated. Local roads are a mess with potholes and open sewer caps and non existent sidewalks and stagnant rainwater or overflowing sewage pipes. Traffic is in gridlock 14 hours of the day. A 1.5 km commute can take upwards of 25 mins depending on where and when you are driving. Another thing that most people from abroad don't understand is for everytime there's some violence or issues in the city, the city effectively shuts down. Petrols Pumps shut down because they're afraid of being lit on fire so they seal them off. Buses and taxis and rickshaws stop operations so labourers can't get to work. Banks close so most business shut down. Schools close and children get frustrated at home. Point being, how much can one guy sit at home and do nothing. The mosquitoes bite you to till all your blood has been sucked dry.
Then there's the pollution. Cars and trucks drive along with absolutely no emission testing done by the government. Garbage is routinely dumped anywhere. Industrial waste is routinely dumped along the beautiful shoreline causing thousands of different ecosystems to be affected.
These are the things that affect your day to day living. They cause the stress of living here more than the bombs and violence. That's because this affects you directly.
Then comes the disparity of living. I don't think it's as bad as Mumbai, but Karachi's elite are no better. People will drive along in Rolls Royces, and Hummer's and Porsche's with not a care in the world. The socializing and parties and debauchery gets to be a bit much. Social get-togethers can get so lavish, that hosts will pay upwards of $5000 just to host five to ten people for dinner. It's a bit weird and I avoid such situations. Again, my morals get the better of me.
Once you get into a proper routine of going to work, life gets a bit dull if you want to avoid above parties, because thats what people do here. They eat, drink, and be merry. Other than that, there's not much here like going to a library, or a park or a camping trip. So you have to find a third activity other than home and work. Most people play cricket. This is the cheapest form of enjoyment as all you need is an empty lot or a low thoroughfare road, a ball and a bat and a few friends. If you can afford it, you get membership at a local country club and use their facilities of swimming pools and tennis courts and squash courts. My vices are sailing, snooker and golf. And I go to the beach with the family almost once a week.
Now this is certainly not life in Pakistan for an average Pakistani, nor is it life in Pakistan for an above average Pakistani, this is life in Karachi for an educated, well to-do Karachiite who has the option to jump ship and go to another country whenever he wishes (he just chooses not to). I just wanted to clarify this. I am fortunate, and I am happy and I love being a Pakistani in Karachi The Mega City of Pakistan.
